All About Powdery Mildew In Marijuana Plants: Symptoms And Techniques To Eliminate It

Marijuana plants are affected by a lot of factors that can affect the growth of the plant negatively and one such factor is white powdery mildew, also known as WPM. It has a chalky white appearance and is actually a kind of mold (fungus). The worst thing about white powdery mildew is that despite it is comparatively easy to detect it early on because if its white color, this fungus is highly active and takes no time in spreading because it can quickly multiply sexually as well as asexually.

All in all, you should be careful as a marijuana grower and have the basic knowledge about identifying early signs and symptoms of powdery mildew.

Early Symptoms Of White Powdery Mildew

White powdery mildew can be handled comparatively easily before it comes full swing and starts spreading.

The earliest sign is the appearance of a mild white spongy substance on the sides of stems or on the top or bottom of the leaves. If you’re careful and pay proper attention to your crops, it shouldn’t be very hard to detect this fungus early on.

When detected early on, you can prune the affected stems and leaves and discard them. It limits the spread to adjacent leaves. However, whether or not you detect it early, the plant has to be given a proper course of treatment so that all the fungus can be eliminated permanently. Some of the most effective techniques to get rid of white powdery mildew are compiled in the list below.

1. Cleaning the Affected Area

Take a clean cloth, even a paper towel should work, and wipe off all the visible fungus from under and over the leaves and around the stems. You can also prepare a solution to clean the leaves. The most effective ones include the following.

2 tbsp of baking soda in 1 gallon of water.
4 tsp of Neem oil in 1 gallon of water.

Use these solutions to remove the fungus.

2. Arrange For Ventilation And Light

The white powdery fungus requires humid conditions to grow. So, giving your plants enough sunlight and allowing proper ventilation reduces humidity. It can eventually kill all the fungus. You can use artificial lights and fans for indoor marijuana crops.

In other words, create unfavorable conditions for the fungus to survive.

3. Use Antimicrobial Sprays

Visible removal of fungus wouldn’t guarantee complete elimination. Thus, use organic antimicrobial solutions for complete cure. You can mix your solution in water and spray it on the leaves.